The present invention relates to a transport and assembly vehicle for a component module such as an aircraft engine.
EP 0 147 246 B1 made known a generic transport framework for aircraft engines, which includes a multiple-component platform structure. In the embodiment described therein, the platform structure includes a base and a frame structure which is detachably connected to the base, the frame structure including the retaining elements for accommodating the aircraft engine. Given that the base and the frame structure are detachably connected to one another, the frame structure may be equipped with bases having different dimensions, thereby enabling the transport framework to be used to transport engines of different sizes. The disadvantage of designs of this type is that a separate base for the transport framework must be provided for every type of engine. This greatly increases the costs to use a transport framework of this type in a flexible manner.
Furthermore, it is known from the prior art to design transport frameworks for aircraft engines to be displaceable. Reference is made in this case, e.g. to DE 20 2004 015 422 U1 which discloses a displaceable transport framework for conveying aircraft engines. Given that the undercarriage of the transport framework accommodates Mecanum wheels, it is possible to move the transport framework fully freely on a flat surface. This has the advantage in particular that the transport framework may react in a highly flexible manner to the spacial conditions that exist where aircraft engines are assembled and disassembled, independent of the design of the undercarriage, the use of a transport framework of this type depends, in turn, on the possibilities for securing the aircraft engines to be conveyed.